Walker unveiled a four-part plan he said will lower tax burdens and expand the workforce in order to help support companies with fewer than 100 employees. He asked the Greater Green Bay Chamber, small business owners and local state legislators in attendance to help him spread the word.

"In terms of employing people, small businesses are our bread and butter," Walker said. "A lot of this plan is preaching to the choir, but I really want you to sing about this."

Walker said the state budget takes steps toward some of the goals while others will need the Legislature's help to accomplish.

The four-step plan aims to:

» Reduce business costs through elimination of the state property tax, cuts to personal property taxes, increased penalties for unemployment fraud, streamlined regulations and lawsuit reforms to protect small businesses.

» Prepare the workforce through more investment in K-12 education, worker training and increased targeted investments in technical colleges and the University of Wisconsin System.

» Removing barriers to work by requiring physically and mentally able people to work 80 hours-per-month or get 80 hours-per-month of job training in order to qualify for benefits, requiring anyone who gets public benefits to pass a drug test, and help target groups like veterans and convicts get training and find jobs.

» Attracting new talent using additional funds set aside in the state budget to market Wisconsin to younger workers.

Walker said the programs aim to encourage work, provide support for those transitioning between jobs and help employers that cannot find enough employees to fill available jobs.

He said he plans to visit chambers of commerce across the state during October and November to talk more about the plan.

"This is a comprehensive document of what we're doing to help small businesses grow," Walker said.